Warning signal



-'r. J. SCQFIELD mmme SIGNAL Dea 5 1939.

Filed Feb. 3, 1937 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 ATENT WARNING SIGNAL Scoileld, Jackson, Micln, assignor to The Sparks-Withlngton Company, Jackson, Mich, a corporation of Ohio Application February 3, 1937, Serial No. 123,887

3 Claims.

My invention relates to warning signals of the type wherein a vibratory element ordiaphragm is actuated by an electric motor of the magnetic type. As is well known, horns of this type draw a considerable amount of current when operat- 5 ing, and it is, therefore, frequently desirable to operate the horn through a relay controlled by the horn button, so that the horn button itself and itsassociated wiring need not carry the heavy current demanded by the horn. This is especially necessary where, as is now common practice, a pair of horns, usually tuned to different frequencies, are operated simultaneously.

In such cases, it is usual to mount the dual horns on a single bracket, with a separate relay mounted between the two horns on the supporting bracket.

An object of my invention is to produce a warning signal unit of the type described of a simplified design having comparatively few parts and hence considerably cheaper to manufacture than previous constructions.

' Another object of my invention is to provide a multiple warning signal of the above mentioned type of improved and simplified construction, wherein the rear diaphragm housing of one of the horns of the group serves the dual purpose of a housing or support for the horn mechanism and of a support for a relay which controls the operation of the entire group of horns with which it is associated.

Another object of my invention is to provide a warning signal of improved and simplified construction, with a relay forming a part thereof and so constructed that it is easy and convenlent to provide a single watertight enclosure to protect both the horn mechanism and the relay.-

Another object of my invention is to provide a warning signal comprising an electrically operated horn and a control relay in one integral 40 unit, the control rlay being of such size and design that it is capable of controlling heavy current flow to said horn and one or moreauxiliary horns grouped therewith without requiring any exposed terminals.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a relay of improved and simplified construction which is adapted to be mounted in the horn mechanism enclosure of one of dual horns so as to form a compact, integrated unit, thereby enabling the elimination of a separate casing for the relay, the elimination of exposed terminals, and the simplification of the wiring of the horns.

Otherobjects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a complete dual horn assembly, including the supporting bracket on which the horns are mounted;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of'Figure 1 with the horn caps removed;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, showing the construction of the relay; and 10 Figure tis a diagrammatic view showing the wiring arrangement of the horns and the relay.

The warning signal device illustrated in the drawing is of the same general type as that 15 described in co-pending application Serial No. 88,424, filed July 1, 1936, in the names of Lloyd E. Johnson, Fred W. Billig and Oscar F. Naumann. Since the details of the horn proper do not constitute any part of my present invention, only its general construction and operation need be described, reference being had to the above mentioned application for a more detailed discussion of the construction and operation of this type of horn.

Where horns of the character shown in the drawing of this application are mounted in pairs, the frequencies of vibration of the diaphragms are adjusted so that the tones produced by the horns combine with each other to produce a warning sound of harmonious character, the frequencies usually diifering by about 58 to 65 cycles per second. i

In general, as shown in Figure 1, such a warning signal comprises a pair of horn projectors H and I2 which open into and are connected to the diaphragm casings (not shown) of the horns. The upper halves of the diaphragm casings constitute mounting plates l3 and I4 upon which various parts of the horn operating mechanisms may be mounted. The diaphragm casings are connected bynut and bolt assemblies to resilient plates i6 and I1 which in turn are riveted to a horn bracket iii. The horn bracket may be mounted in any desired position on the automobile. Each of the mounting plates i3 and It, below which the dlaphragms are mounted, is covered by a suitable cap. The caps 2| and 22 form with the mounting plates l3 and o H, enclosures l5 and 20 for housing the operating mechanism for the horns.

The operation of the warning signal disclosed herein will be understood from a brief reference to Figure 4. The diaphragms 23 and 24, the casings of which are diagrammatically indicated at 23, are operatively connected to suitable electromagnets, indicated generally by the numerals 26 and 21. The electro-magnets 26 and 21 have suitable cores, 'iieldcoils 28 and 23 builtup of coiled wire in the well known manner, and armatures 3| and 32, which may be laminated as illustrated, or made of solid metal, as desired.

Automatic circuit breakers, usual in this type of horn motor, are provided to efiect intermittent energizing and'de-energizlng' of the magnets in synchronism with the movements of the diaphragm away from and toward the cores. Contact supporting arms 33 and 34 are rigidly supported from the mounting plates l3 and I4, and are insulated from contact supporting arms '35 and 36. The arms 35 and 36 are fiat and are made of flexible spring steel. The flexible arms.

35 and 36 are operatively connected to the armatures. 3i and 32 and are adapted to be actuated by movement of the armatures to open andclose circuits formed through the contactpoints ti and 38. The rigid contact supporting arms 33 and 38 are grounded through the horn frames, as indicated at 43. Resistances 39 and 39' are shunted across the pairs of contacts 31 and 38,

respectively, so as to maintain the magnets partially energized during the periods when the electric circuits through the magnets are broken at the contacts 31 and 38. Spring elements ii are ;provided suitably supported from the mounting plates to enable adjustment of the load on the diaphragms to vary the pitch of the horns, as more fully described in the above-mentioned copending application.

As stated above, to avoid passing the heavy current required to operate the electro-magnets of the horns through the horn button, it has been customary practice with dual horns of the character described, or with single horns requiring heavy current, to use a relay, the operation of which, upon actuation of the horn button, completes the circuits through the horn electro-magnets. It has been customary in-the past to place a relay unit having its own base and easing on the bracket 19 from which the horns extend, or on some convenient part of the automobile. This construction not only requires a relatively expensive relay, but also the three relay terminals and the leads from the battery, the horn button and the horns connected thereto are exposed.

According to my invention, the exposed terminerals are entirely eliminated by combining the relay and the horn mechanism of one of the horns, and at the same time a horn assembly is provided which is much neater in appearance, less likely to short-circuit or otherwise get out of repair, and more economical to manufacture. The combining of the relay and the horn mechanism in the enclosure of one of the horns eliminates a large portion of the exposed wiring, it being possible to coil the wiring inthe horn mechanism enclosure around the operating mechanism and have only three exposed leads, a lead to the battery, a lead to the horn button and a short lead to the other horn of the dual warning signal. The latter would be eliminated in the case of a single horn installation where it is desired to use a relay. In addition, the current carrying parts of the relay may be mounted, through insulation,

directly on the upper plate l3 of the diaphragm casing so that numerous conventional parts of the relay are eliminated as well as eliminating a separate casing for enclosing the relay, resulting in a much simpler and cheaper relay than that character described herein. Moreover, the relay,

. when used asa separate unit, is seldom provided with a water-tight casing, whereas the horn mechanism enclosure is water-tight, thereby protecting the relay and all its terminals from the weather.

It is not as simple a matter asit may seem at first glance to design a relay of a size small enough to flt in the available space inside the casing of a standard horn of the typeunderconsideration, while at the same time making the relay positive in action and capable of operating successfully in the horn casing despite the vibration of the horn when it is being blown. In order to minimize this vibration, the relay should prererably be combined with the horn of higher pitch, as this horn vibrates less than its companion. The electro-magnet of the relay should be strong, so as to hold the armature closed against this vibration. The armature should be light, particularly. at its free or contact end, and the armature spring should be weak, both of which factors I tend to reduce the possibility of accidental openis so constructed as to comply with the foregoing requirements and to operate successfully in the horn-casing. The relay 42 has a plate 43, of insulating material, to which is secured a substantially U-shaped metal frame M. The necessaryrigid connection of the frame 44 to the plate 43 is obtained by providing the frame with integral lugs 45, which may be stamped out of the bottom of the frame, and which pass through apertures in the plate 43 and are then clinched thereunder, as shown in Figure 3. The insulating plate 43 may be secured to the mounting plate I 3 of the horn by means of the screws 48, which are threaded into tapped holes in the plate l3, so that the plate I3 serves the dual purpose of a mounting or base plate for the relay and for the horn mechanism. It will be noted that the relay 42 is located over an aperture in the plate 4 3, thereby preventing the possibility of the lugs 45 shortcircuiting the relay by contactwith the plate l3.

The solenoid 61 of the relay comprises a winding coiled upon a suitable insulating spool. The solenoid t? is slipped upon a core 68 having an enlarged top end as illustrated, and the .lower end of this core is then passed through suitable close-fitting apertures in the frame 44 and the insulating base 43, and is peened or riveted over a suitable washer 48', in order to hold the core and spool in place. An arm 89 is secured to one side of the frame 4% by means of a suitable rivet, and is insulated therefrom by an insulating plate 58 and an insulating washer 59.. The upper end of the arm 49 is provided with a stationary con The relay 42, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3,

connected to a lead 53 by means of a terminal 53' mounted on the insulating plate 50 by means of a suitable screw. The lead 53 is connected to the horn button 55, as shown in Figure 4.

A lead 54 is secured to the other side of the frame 44 by means of a terminal and screw 56. The lead 54 is connected to the battery of the automobile, or other source of electric power. The same side of the frame 44 has riveted to its upper end, as at 51, a flat spring 58, preferably of wafer-thin steel. To the free end of the spring 58, an armature 60 is secured by means of rivets 59. As stated above, the spring 58 should be relatively weak in its action, and the armature 60 should be relatively light, being preferably made of thin iron or steel and relatively narrow toward its free end, as shown in the drawing, in order to reduce its weight. A stop is provided to limit the upward movement of the armature, and in the form illustrated, which is particularly simple and inexpensive, comprises a headed pin 6 I, made of non-magnetic material such as brass, which passes through a suitable aperture in the armature 60, and is secured in place by a driven fit in a centrally located hole in the top of the core 48. A contact 62 is riveted to the outer or free end of the armature 60 in a position so as to cooperate with the stationary contact 5 I.

When the relay 42 is energized by closing the horn button 55, current will pass to the frame 44 through the lead 54 from the battery, and thence through the frame to one end of the. solenoid winding 41. From the other end of the solenoid winding, the current will flow through the terminal 53 and the lead 53 to the horn button 55, and thence to ground, to which the other side of the battery is likewise connected, as shown in Figure 4. At the same time, current will flow through the relay from the frame 44 through the spring 58 and the armature 60, contacts 62 and 5|, and lead 52, to the horn electro-magnet, thereby operating the hom of which the relay is a part, as well as one or more auxiliary horns.

The construction and arrangement of parts described above enables an appreciable 'saving'in the cost of a warning signal due to the elimination of a separate base for the relay and the elimination of a separate relay housing, wires, terminals, etc. In addition the combining of parts of the horn and relay described above gives a unit which is less expensive and includes fewer parts than when a separate relay unit is employed. It will be particularly noted that the entire insulation of the relay, aside from the solenoid winding, is accomplished with only three pieces of insulation, namely, the plates 43 and 50, and the washer 50'. Moreover, the wiring is considerably simplified, and much of it may be enclosed within the horn mechanism enclosure. of prime importance is the fact that, in the construction and arrangement of parts described, the ,relay ishoused in a water-tight compartment and all exposed terminals are eliminated with the attendant decrease in the likelihood of horn failure due to terminal corrosion.

While ,I have described the preferred construction and arrangement of parts of the warning signal, it will be appreciated that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departure from the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In a warning signal, in combination, a diaphragm horn having an electric mot r 01 the vibratory type and a weather-proof casing therefor, a relay comprising a winding and a pair of contacts located within said horn casing and forming a unitary assembly with said horn, two leads extending into said casing through the wall thereof and adapted to be connected at their outer ends respectively to a horn button and to a source of contacts when the horn is actuated.

2. In a warning signal, in combination, a pair of diaphragm horns each having an electric motor of the vibratory type and a weather-proof casing therefor, a relay comprising a winding and a pair of contacts located within one of said horn casings and forming a unitary assembly with the corresponding horn, two leads extending into the casing enclosing said relay through the wall thereof and adapted to be connected at their outer ends respectively to a horn button and to a source of potential, the inner end of said horn button lead being connected within said casing to one end of said relay winding, the inner end of said potential lead being connected within said casing to the other end of said relay winding and to one of said pair of contacts, a connection within said casing between the other of said pair of contacts and the horn motor, and a third lead extending into both of said horn casings through the walls thereof and connected at one end to one horn motor and at the other end to the other horn motor so that closing of said relay contacts simultaneously closes the horn motor circuits of both of said horns, said relay being so constructed and arranged that the vibration ef the horn of which it is a part will not open the relay contacts when said horn is actuated.

3. In a warning signal. in combination, a supporting bracket, a plurality of horns connected to said bracket of the electro-magnetic diaphragm type, each of said horns having a-weather-proof casing for the electro-magnetic motor thereof, a relay comprising a winding and contacts located within one of said horn casings and forming a unitary assembly with said horn, the winding of said relay having an electrical connection through the wall of said casing for connecting the same to a source of potential and having a second electrical connection extending through said wall of the casing for connecting the same to a horn button. a circuit having a lead extending from said contacts to the operating mechanism of the horn of which the relay is a part and located within the casing thereof, and a second circuit having a lead operatively connected to the relay contacts and extending through the walls of said horn casings to the operating mechanisms of the other horns so that said relay is adapted to closesaid circuits for simultaneously operating all the horns of the horn is actuated.

THEODORE J. soormn. 

